Pre Prelim. Pies v. Giants.

[Skids]

I think the Ins will be Varcoe and Wells for Greenwood & JDG.

[K]

Anyone know what days training will be this week?

[swooper]

[RudeBoy]

Without JDG, we definitely need another tall forward. To me there are two main options:

1. Bring in Reid.

2. Play Roughy up forward and bring in Madgen at full back.

Hopefully we take the first option, as finals is not the time to mess around with such a good defensive set up.

Replacing Greenwood gives us 3 main options:

1. Bring in Aish

2. Bring in Scharenberg

3. Move Mayne to defence and bring in another winger, such as Varcoe or possibly Josh Daicos.

While he has had a good season and is becoming a good player, Brown was totally out of his depth in the finals, and was too easily brushed aside. I would omit him from our side. There are two options:

1. Bring in Varcoe

2. Bring in Wells

Overall, my preferred changes would be to drop Brown and bring in Reid, Varcoe and Aish.

[mackasmatt]

My biggest concern would be playing GWS, though I dont think itll be easy for them to beat Brisbane this week. GWS have lost 2 games (Hawks and Tigers) at the MCG this year and only beaten Melbourne. Lions have lost to both Bombers and Tigers this year at the MCG. GWS biggest visiting MCG crowd this year is 38k, while Brisbane has faced 48k and 76k crowds.

Looking at who played for GWS v Pies in R18, compared to their Elimination Final win.. they have 17 players who lined up for both games. Scores added below were v Pies.
- Mids: Whitfield, Hopper, Taranto, Perryman
- Forwards: Cameron (6.0), Daniels, Greene, Finlayson (3.1), Himmelberg (4.0), Deledio, Lloyd
- Backs: Shaw, Williams, Haynes, Reid, Taylor
- Ruck: Mumford

- GWS played Mumford for both games, included Keeffe and Simpson v Pies also however, really exposing our short defence (had Roughy, no Shaz or Madgen). You'll remember Quaynor and Appleby struggled / got isolated.

- Mayne hurt his knee and only played 68% game time

- Cox did play but was ineffective, 0.0, 3 marks, 3 kicks

- players who did play R18, who wont or are unlikely to play in a Prelim are: Cox, Appleby, Crocker, Sier, Varcoe, Quaynor, De Goey

- GWS players who would be available to improve their side from R18: Kelly, Tomlinson, De Boer, Davis, Kennedy

[Pies4shaw]

^ If they're the choices for the forward line, we'd better hope Reid's right - it was so much fun watching Cameron destroy Appleby, I just can't wait to see what he does to Madgen.

If they bring back Varcoe, of course, we will lose. He has not kicked a single goal this year against any of Richmond, West Coast, Brisbane, Geelong or GWS. He did have a goal assist against Geelong in round 1, to go with his 2 kicks.

[Cam]

Aish is a smart footballer who can play a few different roles, good running ability.
Varcoe is a fumbly footballer whose best is sublime, is hard, and makes people rush their kicks.
Goldsack is a fumbly footballer, whose best is average, is hard and makes people earn their kicks.
Wells is elite in most things, has vision and skills up there with the best, but is 50/50 getting through each quarter let alone a game.
Reid has great awareness, tall, good kick, strong grab, body issues.
Scharenberg has height, awareness, accurate kick, slightly slow but gives you similar things to Roughead, albeit not height.
Magden, 1cm taller than Scharenberg, bigger body though +5 kg, slow, creative if open, but finals openness in the backline doesn't happen as often.
Appleby - 1 game, good skills, in between sized body, tad slow for finals calibre small forwards
Sier - who knows? Big, strong, good skills and vision, but probably needs the Wills role, which hopefully won't be available. Don't see much utility.
Daicos - good vision, dual sided, small body, see little Browny
Broomhead - good tank, skills, vision, no games this year
Little Browny 2 - no games this year
Crocker - growing ink features, hard, not much presence
McKenna - elite kick, good mark, no understanding of team structures, no fitness, 73 years old
Taylor - elite kick, strong, temperamental, roams too much, writes controversial diaries, me me me, 120 kg compared to playing weight 91 kg

Little Browny might be vulnerable.
JDG out
Greenwood out

[watt price tully]

I saw what you did there! I'd have Peter McKenna any day

[sherrife]

Out: JDG, Greenwood
In: Reid, Aish

Smokey - Wells for Brown/JT. But maybe save it for the GF. He's a champion, doesn't need to warm up. He touches it, good things happen, plus he takes an elite defender off Elliot/Stevo.

[23 YIPPEE!!!]

Who do we want to play in preliminary final

[RudeBoy]

Either team, as long as they cop a few injuries playing each other next week.

[Pies2016]

The problem with Varcoe is that over the entire season, he has no body of work to suggest he will be a contributor in the finals.
He’s had a poor year and it’s unrealistic to suggest he can turn it around against the best opposition.
Yes he hits hard and is front and square and has great closing speed.
But also yes he doesn’t kick goals, he doesn’t get enough of the ball and to be honest, doesn’t lay enough tackles to offset the previous shortfalls either.
Love the guy, he’s a warrior but I don’t see him playing again unless we suffer more injuries.

[stoliboy]

Brisbane!

[23 YIPPEE!!!]

What times the match I hope its like say 720pm a full night match I don't like twilight matches

[ANNODAM]

I prefer the 2:30pm.

Last Friday night I got home at 1:00am!
Hated that 7:50pm time slot, so many people stranded on the footbridge as the platforms were packed & then no trains heading North from Joli.

Did me fkn head in!